According to a report by Reuters on Tuesday, fraudulent communications have been targeting shipowners with offers of safe passage across the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency payments. At least one vessel may have fallen victim to this scam, as indicated by Marisks, a maritime risk services company based in Greece.
Marisks warned that several shipping companies received messages from scammers impersonating Iranian authorities, demanding bitcoin or USDT payments. The firm believes at least one ship was attacked after complying with the scam while attempting to navigate the strait over the weekend, as reported by Reuters.
Since February 28, when a conflict initiated by the U.S. and Israel against Iran began, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been significantly disrupted. Approximately 20,000 oil tankers and other freighters are reportedly stranded in the Gulf, according to Reuters.
In response, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of the strait last week and has since captured an Iranian vessel attempting to bypass it.
On April 9, Iran, which controls the strait’s entrance, proposed implementing cryptocurrency tolls for safe passage through Hormuz. Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, indicated that these fees would likely be payable in bitcoin.
Marisks issued its warning on Monday. No official statement has been made by Iran regarding the matter, as per Reuters.
“These specific messages are a scam,” declared Marisks, confirming that they did not originate from any legitimate Iranian sources.
The fraudulent message cited by Marisks reads: “After providing the documents and assessing your eligibility by the Iranian Security Services, we will be able to determine the fee to be paid in cryptocurrency (BTC or USDT). Only then will your vessel be able to transit the strait unimpeded at the pre-agreed time,” according to Reuters.
The implicated shipping company did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CoinDesk.